Page 62 of Matched Up

He looked down at his knees.‘Yeah, completely.’

‘You make my life make more sense.’

Shane coughed.‘Jesus, I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.’

I laughed and turned to him.He was staring at me.‘You make my life make more sense too.’

I turned up the music and treated Shane to a concert all the way to his house.But when we pulled into his street it was like I could feel the tension come back.The same tension that showed up when I pushed him for answers that he didn’t want to give me.

I pulled up at the kerb outside his house.

‘Thanks, Lexie, for an amazing and kind of weird night.’

‘Always here for amazing and weird.’

He pecked me on the lips before getting out of the car and didn’t even turn round before he walked into his house.

On the way home I played the song we’d been listening to on repeat, pretending that he was still there, trying desperately to forget the strange tension and the way he left without one last goodbye.

Mum and Dad were still up when I got in.

Dad looked confused when I put my keys down on the kitchen island.‘Is your hair wet?’

‘Don’t ask,’ I replied.

‘Are you OK?’he asked, still looking at my hair.

I smiled.‘Yeah, I’m absolutely fine.’

‘Megan’s trials went well I heard.She’s been asked back for the next round,’ Dad said.‘Niall phoned us after they ended.’

And my happiness dissolved.Just like that.

‘Great.’

‘Stephen,’ Mum said, warning him not to say any more.

Dad looked at Mum in confusion.‘What?’

She shook her head and turned to me, wine glass in hand.‘How was V-Ball, Lexie?And why on earthisyour hair wet?’She laughed, trying her best to lighten the thundercloud that filled my head.

‘It was great,’ I said, smiling, ‘and Imighthave gone for a swim.’

Mum had always been good at dragging me out of my head.

She looked shocked but happy.‘What?They let you swim at these things?’

‘Em, yeah?’

Dad looked horrified.‘Lexie!’

‘You’re only young once.’Mum chucked a packet of crisps at Dad’s head.‘I remember when your father and I were at school …’

‘Georgina!’Now it was Dad who was warning Mum not to carry on.

‘Fine, fine.Glad you had fun, love.Have you heard from Niall?’

My stomach dropped.‘Nope.’

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